Elon Musk’s $97.3B OpenAI Takeover Rejected, Altman Claps Back on Twitter

The battle between Sam Altman and Elon Musk over the future of artificial intelligence has reached new heights. OpenAI, the AI giant Altman leads, has officially rejected Musk’s staggering $97.3 billion takeover bid, with Altman making it clear that Musk will not be allowed to seize control of the company he once co-founded.

In a letter to employees on Monday, Altman dismissed Musk’s bid outright.

“Our structure exists to ensure that no individual can take control of OpenAI,” Altman wrote, according to Wired. He added that Musk’s involvement is “not about OpenAI’s mission or values”, making it clear that the board does not view Musk as an ally.

Musk, however, sees it differently. The billionaire CEO of xAI and Tesla argued that OpenAI has strayed from its original mission and needs to return to being an open-source, safety-first AI research firm.

“It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk stated, promising to ensure that happens.

In a move that can only be described as expert-level trolling, Altman responded on X by offering to buy Twitter for $9.74 billion, a nod to Musk’s failed attempt to get out of his Twitter purchase.

Musk’s one-word reply? “Swindler.”

The exchange shows just how deep the animosity runs between the two tech titans. While Musk claims to be concerned about OpenAI’s mission, Altman and his supporters believe Musk’s real goal is to disrupt OpenAI’s trajectory and slow its dominance in the AI race.

While Musk’s offer is massive, OpenAI’s valuation currently sits at $157 billion, and potential funding from SoftBank could push it to a staggering $300 billion. The company’s unique nonprofit-for-profit hybrid structure makes it even harder for any one individual even Musk to seize control.

• OpenAI’s governance is tied to nonprofit obligations, making a traditional takeover nearly impossible.

• The company is shifting toward becoming a public benefit corporation, creating additional hurdles for any outside buyer.

• Legal experts say Musk’s bid sets a new benchmark for OpenAI’s value, potentially raising expectations for future investments.

Elon Musk is no stranger to making bold moves, but OpenAI appears dead set on keeping him out. The AI arms race is heating up, and this latest battle proves that the fight for control over artificial intelligence is just getting started.

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